Union undergarment.



P. G. RICKBRT.

UNION UNDERGARMENT. APPLICATION TILED JULY 8,1912.

1,081,866. Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

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FRED C. RICKERT, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS,

ASSIGNOR TO TAUNTON KNITTING COMPANY, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

UNION UNDERGARMENT.

Application filed July 8, 1912.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Dec. 1M), 1913. Serial No. 708,107.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Finn) C. RICKERT, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Taunton, county of Bristol, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Union lh1 lergarments, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to union undergarments of the type in which the body and leg portions are continuous and. made of an elastic knit fabric, the part of the fabric which constitutes each tubular leg being united to a portion of itself by a seam extended from the crotch longitiulinally of the leg at the inner side thereof. Such garments are manufactured and sold in great quantities and in general are altogether satisfactory, but in some cases it is found that there is an undue and too rapid wear on the inner sides of the thigh portions of the legs when the garments are worn by stout persons. This is due to the fact that the elastic character of the knit fabric permits it to be stretched at the portions mentioned, adjacent the crotch, and the tightly stretched fabric is then worn by the rubbing thereover of the outer garments.

My present invention has for its object the production of simple and otlicient means for obviating the beforementioned fault, and I accomplish the desired object by letting into the inner seam of each leg of the garment an insert of relatively inelastic .nlaterial, preferably woven fabric, said insert extending from the crotch toward the knee and providing a fullness thereat, the woven fabric resisting wear.

I have found in actual practice that union umlergarments made in accordance with my invention are not subject to wear at the places indicated, even when worn by very stout persons, the wear of the entire garment being thus made substantially uniform.

The novel features of my invention will be fully described in the subjoined specification and particularly pointed out in the following claim.

The drawing shows in front elevation a union undcrgarment of a well known type, with my present invention embodied therein.

In the drawing, the body A, tubular legs B, and seat-flaps G are all substantially of usual construction and made of knit fabric, the body and legs being made continuous and having the seat-[laps attached thereto as is customary.

In forming each leg the fabric constituting that part of the garment is folded over and united to a portion of itself by a seam extending longitlulinally of the leg at the inner side thereof from the crotch. Ordinarily this scam is continuous and the lower end of the adjacent; seat-Ila p is united to the leg along such seam. In :nrcordance with my invention I let into this inner seam an insert 1 of wear-resisting and inelastic material, preferably a woven falin'ic, said insert being shaped as an isosceles triangle, as herein shown, having a long side or edge 2, and the two shorter converging sides 3, -l-. The inner seam of the leg indicated by the line 5, (i, in the drawing, extending from the crotch of the garn'lent longitlulinally of the leg. Into this scam I let in the said insert, the long edge 2 thereof being united to the edge of the leg fabric forming the long and coin tinuous side of the seam, starting at the crotch, and extending toward the knee, and the short side =1: of the insert is united to the leg fabric between the points '7, 8, along the shorter edge of such fabric. The other short edge 3 of the insert is united to the lower end of the adjacent seat-l1ap U, as shown, such insert thus being interposed between the two edges of the leg fabric and the flap along the inner side of the thigh portion of each leg. 13y such construction a fullness is provided at the inner side of the thigh, giving the requisite freedom and capacity for that part of the leg, and the character of the insert prevents wear even if such insert is stretched tightly over the thigh when the garment is in use. In the ordinary consl ruction of such garments the inner seam of the leg is straight and continuous from the crotch to the end of the leg, but the insertion of the triangular piece 1. separates and causes a divergence of the two portions of the leg fabric from the point 7 upward to the point 8, the amount of fullness to be given to the thigh part of the leg being determined by the distance of the apex of the insert 1 from its long side or base 2, as will be apparent.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

union raider-garment composed of knitted fabric comprising a continuous body and tubular legs and attached seat-flaps, each leg having a seam extending from the crotch longitudinally of the leg at the inner side thereof and. an insert of woven relatively inelastic fabric let into the seam of each leg adjacent the crotch and extended therefrom toward the knee, each insert being united to the lower end of a seat-flap and to 10 the opposed edges of the leg fabric, to fornr FRED O. RICKERT. Witnesses CHARLES C. HAGERTY, CHARLES L MAooMBnR.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by, addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

